Railway car frame



w. F. DIETRICHSON 2,203,490

RAILWAY um FRAME i Filed may 1'7. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY W. F. DIETRICHSON June 4, 1940,.4

RAILWAY CAR FRAME F!led May 17. 1939 di y y, 2 z m hKfA/f. R ii- N .n E n ma a ,.ID. A d .z n/u` v o /o f A` i r,

ATTORNEY Patented June 4, 1940 RAILWAY CAR FRAME William F. Dietrichson, Berwick, Pa., assigner to American Car and Foundry Company, New l York, N.` Y., av corporation of New Jersey Application May 17, 1939, `Serial No. 274,159

7 Claims.

This invention relates toframes for railway cars in general and in particular to an improved frame construction for welded freight cars.

` `In the past the majority of freight` carshave "been built by riveting the component parts together on the underframe in much the same manner as anybuildin'g as constructed.` In this manner slight inequalities in the component parts were absorbed at each joint during the ream- F ing and riveting operations, thus permitting thel overall dimensions` of the cars to be main tained substantially constant. In welded construction, however, it is almost necessary that the sides and roofs be preassembled and then joined `together and to the underframe. It has been found that the heat of welding sets up stresses and causes warping which cannot be accurately predetermined, therefore, the preasn sembled side walls and roofs cannot be produced of constant dimensions. The warping dueto welding heat will not be uniform throughout the 2 structure due to the fact that it is impossible to know or determinethe exact past history'of the component metal parts; that is, one structural member may have'been rolled at a higher temperature or handled diierently than the next adjacent component parts and these diierencesin handling will cause different degrees of warping. These i'lnal inequalities in the side walls and roofs i make it impossible to directlyjoin the walls and roofs together, whilemaintaining the proper nnal dimensions for the car. fore, ofthepresent invention to provide an improved car frame construction wherein inequal- *itiesin the welded subassemblies may be compensated for during the joining of the subas.- `semblies. l

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved car` frame construction ingwhich the wall carried side plates and the roof carried side plates may be riveted together along substantially horizontal lines, thereby permitting compensation for inequalities in the `welded sub-assemblies.

A still further object of the` invention isthe provision of an improved car frame construction l in which the wall carried end plates and the roof carried end plates may be secured together along substantially horizontal lines, thereby permitting relative shifting of the end plate parts during connection of the sub-assemblies.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in which:

It isan object, there` (ci. 10a- 401) Figure 1 is a transverse sectional View showing lthe improved frame construction;

Fig. 2 is an end view of acar utilizing the improved construction; i

Fig. 3 i's a longitudinal sectional View disclos ing the `improved end plate assembly, and

Fig. 4 is a plan` view of the construction in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the car is constructed with the customaryend wall 2 and side wall 4 joined to` gether in any suitable manner and secured to the Zeshaped corner post 6. The customary side lining 8 and end lining I0 are used (Fig. ll) `The side sheets are secured to Z section side posts l2, having their upper ends bent inwardly and upwardly as at I4 in order that the outer ange it may conform to the wall carried side plate and to the slope ofthe car roof. The wall car- ShOWIl `ried side plate is preferably pressed Vfrom sheet instal and has its lower edge i8 welded to the side sheets, while the intermediate portion 28 is curved to any desired radius and extends inwardly substantially in the plane of the roof to terminate in a downwardly directed stiiiening flange 2L This downwardly directed stiffening` llange is preferably spaced'frorn the inwardly directed ends of the side posts, although it is obvious that this ange may contact the posts if it is so desired. Itwill thus be seen that` with the side sheets and wall carried side plate welded together and to the posts an extremely strong side construction has been provided. The ends ofthe wall carried side plate are joined together and to the end wall by means of the end wall fio carried end plate 2li. This end wall carried end plate has its lower edge securely welded to the end sheet, while the intermediate portion 26 curves inwardly and merges into a downwardly directed ange 28 which may be securely fastened to the downwardly directed iiange 22 of the wall carried side plate if so desired. It will thus be `seen that with the wallcarried side and end plates securely fastened together as by arc welding an 4extremely strong construction has been provided. v The car roof is preferably formed of Z section carlines 3D having the lower anges 32 positioned substantially horizontal, while the upper iiange 34 conforms to the slope orcurvature ofthe roofsheet 35 to which itis attached by either spot or arc welding. The ends of the car` lines are securely Welded todownwardly' directed leg38 of the angle formroof carried side plate which is positioned with" the' one" leg llil sublio stantially horizontal and directed outwardly away from the carlines. This outwardly directed leg supports the edges of the roof sheets to which it is fastened either by arc or spot welding. The ends of the flange 38 of the roof carried side plates are securely welded to the downwardly directed flanges 42 of the roof carried end plates which conform to the slope of the roof and have the flanges 44 thereof directed outwardly substantially in horizontal planes.

roof sheets to which they are securely fastened either by arc welding or spot welding. The flanges 44 and 40 of the roof carried end and side plates are securely welded together as at W (Fig. 4), thus forming a rigid angular frame completely surrounding the roof sub-assembly.v

Prior to welding the roof sub-assembly together the flanges 4U and if desired the flanges 44 are punched to provide openings for the reception of rivets. wAfter the side and end sub-- assemblies are secured together, the customary cross bracing is used to bring the sides to their proper spacing, after which the roof sub-assembly is lowered into position and centered between the flanges 22 and 28 of the wall carried side and end plates. With the roof centered in its final location the wall carried side plates and, if desired, the end plates, are drilled and rivets 52 driven,thus securely fastening the roof and wall carried side plates together to form a complete side plate.. In the instance shown the flanges 44 are secured to the wall carried end plate by welding, although if desired these parts may be secured together by riveting in exactly the same manner as is done with the side plates. In some instances it may be possible to punch not only the flanges 40 and 44, but the wallvcarried side and end plates, thus necessitating a mere reaming operation after the roof sub-assembly is positioned, but the more accurate method is that of. utilizing drilling as previously outlined. As soon as the roof sub-assembly has been securely fastened to the walls and ends of the car short gusset tie members 56 are securely welded to the'lower ends of the roof carried side plate flange 38 and to the inner flange or" the side posts (Fig. l), lthus' securely tying the roof structure and side structures together and in effect continuing the carline to the post. The

customary or any desired form` of ceiling 58 is applied, thus completing the car interior.

While the invention has been described more or less in detail, it is obvious that various modiilcations and rearrangements of parts and changes in method of assembly will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art and all such changes and vmodifications are contemplated as will come within the scope of the following claims:

What is claimedis:

l. In a railway vehicle the combination of side walls and end walls secured together, wall carried plates secured to said side and end walls and each formed by an upwardly and inwardly directed sheet of metal, said wall carried plates being secured together and forming anopening of less area andy spaced inwardly on all sides from that inclosed by said side and end walls, a roof closing said opening and including roof carried side and end plates, and ay roof sheet secured to said roof carried plates, said roof carried plates overlapping said wall carried plates and being secured thereto.

2. In a railway vehicle the combination of side The flanges 44 of the roof carried end plates support the ends of the walls and end walls secured together', wall carried plates secured to said side and end walls and each formed by an'upwardly and inwardly directed sheet of metal, `said wall carried plates and said roof assembly being bodily shiftable in said opening prior to being secured in place whereby inequalities may be compensated for in the vehicle wall structure.

'3. In a railway vehicle the combination of side walls and end'walls secured together, wall carried plates secured to said side and end walls and each formed by an upwardly and inwardly directed sheet of metal terminating in a downwardly directed stiffeningilange, said wall carried plates being secured together and forming an opening bounded by said stiening flanges and of less area than that inclosed by said side and end walls, a roof closing said opening and including, flanged roof carried side and end plates having one flange located substantially in the plane of the roof and the other flange directed downwardly, said last named flange being normally located in spaced relationship to said first named stiffening flange and a roof sheet secured to said roof carried plates, said one flange of the roof carried plates overlapping said Wall carried plates and being secured thereto.

4. In a railway vehicle the combination of side walls and end walls secured together, wall carried plates secured to said side and end walls and each formed by an upwardly and inwardly directed sheet of metal terminating in a downwardly directed stiflening flange, said wall carried plates being secured together and forming an opening bounded by said stiffening flanges and of less area than that inclosed by said side and end walls, a roof closing said opening and including, flanged roof carried side and end plates having one flange located substantially in the plane of the roof and the other flange directed downwardly, and a roof sheet secured to said roofk carried plates, said one flange of the roof carried plates overlapping said wall carried plates and being secured thereto, and said other flange being in spaced relationship to said stiffening flange Vwhereby said roof may be bodily shifted in said opening prior to being secured in place thereby compensating for inequalities in the Vehicle wall structure. i

5. In a railway vehicle the combination of side walls and end walls secured together, wall carried plates secured to said kside and end walls and each formed by an upwardly and inwardly directed sheet of metal terminating in a down-y being secured thereto, and means connecting said side wall plates and said last named downwardly directed flange together.

6. In a railway Vehicle the combination of side walls and end walls secured together, wall carried plates secured to said side and end walls and each formed by an upwardly andinwardly directed sheet of metal terminating in a down- Wardly directed stiiening flange, said Wall carried plates being secured together and forming an opening bounded by said stiffening flanges, a roof closing said opening and including anged roof carried side and end plates connected together with one Iiange directed downwardly and the other flange directed outwardly substantially in the plane of the roof, roof sheets secured t0- said roof carried plates, carlines connected `to said roof sheets and to the downwardly directed iiange of the side plates, said outwardly directed Iiange overlapping said wall carried plates and being secured thereto,` and means connecting said side wall plates and said last named down- Wardly directed flange together, said means being located substantially in alignment with said carlines whereby said carlinesare braced from the vehicle side Walls.

7. In a railway vehiclethe combination of,

plates secured together anddefining an opening of less area than that inclosed by the side and end walls, and a preassembled roof structure adapted to close said opening and including roof carried side and end4 plates, said roof carried plates and side carried plates being so constructed and arranged as to permit shifting `ci? the roof structure relative to the side and end wall structures to compensate for inequalities therein prior to attachment of the roof structure.

WILLIAM F. DIETRICHSON. 

